In a dramatic South Canterbury Champion of Champions triples final, a ‘‘lucky rub’’ shifted the momentum of the match, ultimately securing the O’Neill and Stowell trophy for Temuka and denying Kia Toa’s Michael Goodger and Craig Ridden their maiden centre titles.
The Kia Toa side, skipped by Mick Goodger and supported by Craig Ridden and Dick Bennett, exploded out of the blocks.
They established an early 5-2 lead, with Goodger setting a high standard from the opening ends.
Temuka looked poised to strike back on the next end when Wood and Carey plastered the kitty to hold four shots.
However, Ridden responded with a brilliant draw to take the shot.
When Morton’s two-yard runner missed the mark, Kia Toa extended their lead to 6-2.
Temuka showed their championship pedigree over the middle stages, clawing back to level the scores at 7-all with seven ends remaining.
The 12th end saw a tactical battle: Bennett nailed the kitty, Carey replied with a great bowl, and Goodger produced an outstanding trail.
Fortune, however, began to turn. Goodger’s trail left them one down, giving Temuka their first lead of the day.
The match reached its fever pitch on the 13th end.
Kia Toa appeared to have the game in a stranglehold.
Bennett and Ridden played superbly to hold three, and Goodger sat out a Temuka bowl to sit four shots up.
With the final bowl of the end, Morton sent a wide delivery.
Expecting a miss, Morton threw his hands in the air in frustration — only for his bowl to strike a wide stationary bowl and cut across the green.
The deflected bowl moved the jack back to give Temuka two shots instead of dropping four.
The heartbreaking turn of events shifted the score to 9-8 in favour of Temuka.
Despite the shock, Kia Toa remained resilient.
On the penultimate ends, they held two shots until Morton sneaked in next to the kitty.
Goodger narrowly missed with his final effort, leaving Temuka ahead 12-8 going into the final stages.
While Kia Toa fought to the last — with Goodger playing a toucher to get within two shots — Temuka closed the door on the final end to secure a 14-10 victory.
It was an outstanding final with all six bowlers playing their best.
It was played with fun and laughter and everyone was enjoying themselves.
Goodger played cool as ever and was man of the match.
Morton was playing his best bowls and showed magnificent weight control in the pairs on Saturday and also in the triples.
Morton’s team will now represent South Canterbury in the New Zealand final in Counties in July.
The win marks significant milestones for the Temuka stalwarts:
- Sam Morton claimed his 14th South Canterbury title.
- Dave Wood moved his tally to eight titles.
- Dave Carey celebrated his fifth title, earning him a Gold Star, which will be presented at the South Canterbury closing.
Results: Kia Toa (Michael Goodger, Craig Ridden, Dick Bennett) 23, Pleasant Point (Grant Shaw, Terry Nally, Colin Kerry (CJ) 5; West End (Adrian Robins, Gary Ford, Andrew Bell) 23, Waimate (Trevor Marshall, Bernie Morton, Ron Law) 7; Timaru (Graham Sangster, Dave Agnew, Blair McConie) 20, Geraldine (Dave Vujcich, Daniel Rooney, Dave Curtis) 13; Temuka (Sam Morton, Dave Carey, Dave Wood) 24, Fairlie (John Cassif, Alan Ward, Terry O’Conner) 6. Semifinal: Kia Toa 20, West End 17; Temuka 20, Timaru 8. Final: Temuka 14, Kia Toa 10.
— Richie Kerr
